REMARKS ON FEEDING. 65 



one of the best remedial agents in our possession. When the 

 horse is in health, they assist nature to maintain the physio- 

 logical operations of all the functions. The sick horse will 

 be improved by the use of this useful vegetable. It forms 

 one of the best poultices, where poultices are indicated, with 

 which we are acquainted ; when cut up in small pieces, or 

 scalded, and given to the horse occasionally, they are very 

 acceptable to the digestive organs : in cases of chronic indi- 

 gestion, and diseases of the lungs, they are invaluable. 

 2. Parsnips produce the same effect, and are about equal in 

 their amount of nutritive matter. 3. Potatoes have been 

 given to the horse, but the benefit derived from them is greater 

 when boiled. In addition to the different diets here named, 

 many employ other things ; but this chiefly depends on the 

 locality, and the possibility of procuring such food as is gen- 

 erally esteemed most wholesome. 



A list, showing the relative amounts of nutritive matter 

 contained in the following articles, taken from Sir H. Davy's 

 work on chemistry : — 



" 1000 parts of wheat contain 995 parts of nutritive mat- 

 ter ; barley, 920 ; oats, 742 ; peas, 574 ; beans, 570 ; potatoes, 

 230; red beets, 148; parsnips, 99; carrots, 98." 



Of the grasses, 1000 parts of meadow catstail contain, at 

 the time of seeding, 98 parts of nutritive matter ; narrow 

 leafed meadow grass in seed, and sweet scented soft grass in 

 flower, 95 ; narrow leafed and flat stalked meadow grass in 

 flower, fertile meadow grass in seed, and creeping soft grass 

 in flower, 77 ; cabbage, 73 ; crested dogstail and brome flow- 

 ering, 71 ; yellow oat in flower, 66; yellow turnip, 64; nar- 

 row leafed meadow grass, creeping beet, 59 ; rough meadow 

 grass, flowering, 56 ; common turnips, 42 ; sainfoin and broad 

 crested clover, 52 ; lucerne, 23. Thus it appears that a horse 

 must consume an immense quantity of the grasses, to enable 

 the digestive organs to furnish the material for supplying the 

 great waste that is continually going on ; therefore, however 

 good or cheap hay may be, it is dear provender in the end. 

 A horse will live and thrive best on a mixed diet, already 

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